On Thursday April 6, 2023, President Cynthia Olivo and Director of Campus Communication Lisa McPheron held an all-inclusive event for the Basketball State Champions on the college quad to celebrate the big win.

A little less than a month back on March 12, 2023, the Hornets team conquered the 2023 season with a record of 32-1. They capped it off with a state championship-clinching win, beating the City College of San Fransisco Rams 83-73. This meant it was time for a celebration.

Olivo took it upon herself to decide that the big win for the team meant it was a call for celebration for the boys. This included the help of McPheron to bring the event to life.

It was a great event to help acknowledge the state champions and also help bring awareness to other students about the success of the basketball team. These were the main reasons why the celebration was even created.

McPheron said, “Our president Cynthia Olivio wanted to make sure that we recognized the stellar season and she wanted our campus to celebrate.”

For the actual event, it was an “all were welcome” kind of setup. There were booths with food, drinks, small basketball hoops to play with, and music. The Hornet mascot “Buzzy” was also present to help lift the school spirit competition. Needless to say that the ambiance was perfect for students to hang with friends and celebrate the team.

By the looks on the student’s and players’ faces, everyone was happy to be there. Head Coach Perry Webster had some words of gratitude. He expressed “I feel really good that President Olivo is taking the time and energy to give us this love and support. It means a lot for our program.”

There was a raffle that took place as well. It included backpacks, drawstring bags, and even headphones. The students were provided with opportunities to feel included and win some prizes. Big smiles filled up the quad.

After the event, the players had an opportunity to be recognized by the faculty senate who provided them with a lot of words of encouragement. The coaches and captains of the team all expressed their thank you’s to the senate who supported them in many ways throughout the season.

Freshman guard Sean Newman Jr., a business administration major who just recently committed to playing Division 1 basketball at Louisiana Tech University, expressed the love and gratitude he felt about the whole event highlighting him and his team. He mentioned, “It was beautiful seeing everybody come together to see what you accomplished and see the joy on other people’s faces is a really beautiful thing.”

Overall it is safe to say that the event was another win to highlight the team for all their hard work, and they all felt the love of the students and faculty.